ITV2 turns 20

It takes two...baby!

Tomorrow (7th December) marks 20 years since ITV2 came on the airwaves. The introduction of ITV's second channel had been mooted for decades; if you can recall back in the late 70s, certain tellys and remote controls were manufactured with an 'ITV2' button in anticipation. Then of course Channel 4 burst into the scene...

ITV2's launch in 1998 came a few weeks after the Digital TV explosion. But unlike BBC Choice it wasn't widely available; it was DTT and cable exclusive at first. Initially the programming was broad; news and current affairs, children's TV, lifestyle and sport. There was in-vision continuity to start with.

It was also the second home of the Champions League; before the competition's expansion in 1997, you had the other English team's matches on Carlton Select or Granada Plus.

ITV2's launch in 1998 came a few weeks after the Digital TV explosion. But unlike BBC Choice it wasn't widely available; it was DTT and cable exclusive at first. Initially the programming was broad; news and current affairs, children's TV, lifestyle and sport. There was in-vision continuity to start with.

It’s funny looking back at the sheer mix of genres ITV2 and BBC Choice had back a time the beginning. Feels like they didn’t really know what would stick and were trying a bit of everything before more competition came along.

Granada Plus was on Cable, I remember the Nynex or C&W tech coming round to our house to set it up to receive Granada Plus etc, I don't know why they would have needed to come? but they went round the whole estate!

At launch BBC Choice was supposed to be their third general entertainment channel, showing the best of BBC One and Two as well as its own programming. But that only lasted a few years before the change in strategy to what eventually became BBC Three.

ITV2 was advertised as ITV for younger audiences when it launched, with then-popstar Billie Piper featuring in the advertising, but among the early programmes were shows hosted by John Suchet and Trevor McDonald, which seems really out of place with that image.

At launch BBC Choice was supposed to be their third general entertainment channel, showing the best of BBC One and Two as well as its own programming. But that only lasted a few years before the change in strategy to what eventually became BBC Three.

ITV2 was advertised as ITV for younger audiences when it launched, with then-popstar Billie Piper featuring in the advertising, but among the early programmes were shows hosted by John Suchet and Trevor McDonald, which seems really out of place with that image.